Chapter 75 - The Eve Of War
Chapter 75
Kapow!
Boom!
Sound of explosions echoed through the forest as a figure can be seen dashing away from a dense number of beast following behind him. The figure is carrying a woman on his arms who is nestled on his chest. But the this is that the woman is holding a gun in her hand would every now and then, causing some beast to fall on the ground and causing an exploding sound because of the impact.
Trailing behind him is a dense number of flying hornet-like beasts half his size which causes the man to break out in cold sweat, this man is Shin Jiao. After killing the half-crazed man from the beast clan and rescuing Qian Li, Shin Jiao didn't expect that an advance scout of hornets colony along with a level 5 beast king hornet spotted them. As a large number of hornets assaulted him and Qian Li, he madly dashes through the thick foliage of trees. Qian Li has already recovered a fourth of her strength so while retreating she is shooting at those who would approach them.
The tandem of the two seems perfect with Shin Jiao running and Qian Li's shooting; a large number of hornets have already fallen. At first, Qian Li missed a lot of her targets as she needed to adjust with Shin Jiao's speed and the pain in her body. But as time went by while and her body gradually recovers her accuracy became better and better.
"Master, I'm running out of bullets!" Qian Li shouted near Shin Jiao's ears.
Shin Jiao didn't reply but his heart is a little troubled, he didn't know what to do as the hornets speed is very fast almost as fast as his. If he is not carrying Qian Li he may have a chance to escape this predicament or if she is not injured. But because of her injury, their escape becomes twice as hard and dangerous. They also could not activate their stealth because if the hornet beast would discover this there is a possibility that it would lose its effectiveness in battle.
While Qian Li is reloading a hornet suddenly attacked making her scared, luckily Shin Jiao has his spiritual sense. Although his spiritual sense can just reach at a meager 10 meters in distance however it is enough for Shin Jiao to know what to do next.
"Fairy, we need to take their sense out so that we can activate stealth. Grab the flash grenades on my waist and throw all of them." Shin Jiao shouted.
Qian Li nods her head and immediately went to work. She quickly grabs all four flash grenades on Shin Jiao's waist and threw them on the air one by one.
Blinding flash of light illuminated the dimly illuminated forest, making the entire hornet group pause in their tracks. After a while when they regained their senses, the two people they are following is already gone. With an angry roar, the level 5 beast king hornet rampages all over as it toppled some of the trees in its surroundings. But it was to no avail as their target has already escaped. So without a choice, the dense number of hornets return to the beast tide army.
Meanwhile, Shin Jiao and Qian Li are already dashing on top of the trees making the light pass through their camouflage suit which made them invisible to the naked eye.
After a long while of traveling, they arrive in location B where the rest of the team is standing by. When the group saw the two people they became happy, and Phoenix immediately came forward. Qian Li while on Shin Jiao's arm could feel cold gazes towards her, especially Serpent who is pouting as she had seen her kissed Shin Jiao.
"Master, the base has delivered a healing pill for us. This is a diluted version of the Rapid Hemostatic Pill. It is more suitable for mortals like us." She said happily as she handed Shin Jiao five bottles which contain 4 green translucent pills each.
After putting Qian Li down he receives the bottles with pills and carefully check them.
"Elder Wan Bing's team is really efficient. I can't believe they are able to make a diluted version of the pill. This is good, but if your guys go beyond level 5 warriors and mages. The effect of these low-level pills would not be sufficient for your physique at that time." Shin Jiao said while he scrutinized the pills.
"What do you mean by that master?" Phoenix asked while knitting her brow in confusion.
"Well, if my conjecture and the data I have collected is correct. Once you reach level 5 in circulating the mana in your body, you all would not be mere mortals anymore." Shin Jiao said with a smile.
He had to say this so that the girls will work hard and become stronger. According to Gubu, on the other continent, there are some who are like cultivators living for hundreds or even thousands of years, and they call them Saints and Gods.
"What? Is.. Is this true?" this time it was Xi Jung who reacted.
His heart right now is too flustered in excitement because he never would have expected to hear this news as Phoenix didn't tell him this information. Actually, Phoenix didn't know this because this information is only taught when a Warrior or a Mage becomes a Novice in either of the two professions. And level 5 is the starting point where they would be called a Novice warrior or a Novice mage. And after that 5 levels would proceed in every profession or job, which would change their titles.
"Yes, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you guys this.. I was too busy.. hehe." Shin Jiao said touching the back of his head.
Every girl in the area showed a glimmering shine in their eyes. Now that they discovered that they too can be as strong as cultivators without the help of the exoskeleton, they became excited in their hearts. Each of them almost simultaneously has a goal to cultivate like crazy after the war ended, which is in the premise that they survive.
"Alright, I will upload the ways to enhance your levels in your headgears. That way you can study it in your free time while we wait for the battle to start." Shin Jiao said as he can see the excited looks on everyone's gazes on him.
So he helplessly took out his laptop and began uploading the information he got from Gubu's jade slips. When they receive it, although excited they didn't immediately look at the information as they didn't want to be distracted in their combat preparations.
Qian Li immediately recovered in just a few minutes after taking the pills. Then the group immediately went on to do their own tasks.
..
Meanwhile, reports began to arrive in the town of Dis town hall. The beast tide they are waiting for has now come in the proximity of 500 kilometers.
"What is the estimated time that the beast tide will arrive near the town?" an elder asked with a solemn face.
"If the giant level six beast would travel this distance, it is expected that they would be arriving tomorrow afternoon. But the fast ones will be on our doorsteps in at least 8 to 10 hours." The scout reported.
All the elders nod their heads and look at the old man in white hair sitting in the middle seat. The old man then lifted his gaze towards the people in the room.
"Tell the advance team to begin their assault. We could not let these beasts reach the town. Have everyone ready to intercept the beasts." The elder said as he stood up.
Everyone in the rooms followed suit as they began to prepare themselves to go in the front lines. Their goal is to monitor and assess the situation and offer support if necessary.
In this group of people Shin Jiao actually knew a lot of figures, some of them he had conflicts with and some of them are his acquaintances. But right now they are having one goal in mind, and that is to fight against the beast and of course profit from the cores and beast carcass. In this land of cultivators where the strong prey against the weak and self-gain is most common, many would bravely venture as long as there are profits. But only a few would have different goals, Qin Lou is one of those.
While walking among the crowd a woman approached her. And when she saw that cute and beautiful face, she was truly dumbfounded and surprised. She never would have thought that her best friend Susu Ling has returned to the town and behind her followed two people.
"Susu! Why? Why are you here? Why did you come back?" Qin Lou asked in surprise.
Her face is showing a mixture of delight and worry. She is happy that her friend is with her, but she is worried about her safety.
"Well, you're here why can't I be. Hihi.." Susu Ling answered with a smile on her face.
The two girls hug each other feeling happy for the reunion. Then they started to chat as they follow the group of people. While they are walking, they noticed someone approaching them. The young woman walking towards them is very beautiful and in fact, most of the men in the crowd would always take a glance at her with a dumbfounded look on their faces.
Cherry Lao walks towards the two young women happily chatting with each other. In fact, she would have approached Qin Lou a long time ago but she is a little bit hesitant.
"Excuse me.. I'm Cherry Lao from the Lotus sect. May I ask Miss Lou to have a private conversation?" she said with a smile while cupping her hands.
The two girls were a little startled as they were dumbfounded at the beauty of the young woman in front of them. Susu Ling is confident of her beauty but she would never want to compare herself with the woman in front of her, as the woman is like a goddess who has descended from the heavens. But Qin Lou is indifferent to the young woman, she has seen Cherry Lao on many occasions in the town of Dis and so she is already almost immune to her beauty.
"Miss Lao is too kind, I am with my friend and we keep no secret between us. If you have something please you can ask." Qin Lou said as she also politely cupped her hands.
"This.. alright.. If I may ask.. You.. you know the man named Shin Jiao right?" Cherry Lao asked with a little hesitation.
But before Qin Lou could answer Susu Ling's eyes widen in disbelief as she could not imagine how Shin Jiao had known such a beautiful woman, "You! How did you know Shin Jiao? Are you his woman?"
Hearing this from a girl, Cherry Lao's face immediately blushed. The time she had with Shin Jiao immediately flashed back in her memories. His handsome face and the care he showed her, in fact, the truth is that she has regretted giving him that letter. Right now, if she could turn back the time she would gladly stay in that secluded paradise where they only have each other.
When she returned to her sect, she had exact her revenge alright but at what cost? Although the sect accepted her and was never punished for ruining her master's cultivation, she never would have expected to be given as a bride to the 2nd Prince of Xi, Li Yan Xi. Upon learning this Cherry Lao said no to the marriage proposal and wanted to return to the forest, but she was stopped by a powerful man. And that man was her uncle, Shaguan Lao, the long lost brother of her father.
Upon seeing the reaction of Cherry Lao, which seems to have recalled something wonderful and sad at the same time, the eyes of Susu Ling squinted in suspicion.
"I knew that scumbag is not good. He's grabbing women everywhere he goes. Sister Qin, if I see him I'll give him a good beating for you." Susu Ling said with fuming anger in her face.
Susu Ling didn't know why but right now she is really angry at Shin Jiao for no apparent reason and felt some jealousy in her heart upon seeing the beauty of Cherry Lao.
"Shin Jiao is not like that!" Cherry Lao suddenly shouted with a little bit of annoyance in her voice.
The commotion suddenly grabs some attention and one of them is a handsome young man. Upon seeing Susu Ling his eyes lit up in excitement, he never would have thought he could see Susu Ling again. But when he saw the otherworldly beauty of Cherry Lao, he was dumbfounded and a perverted look on his face appears. This man is Prince Haulin, the third prince of the Xi Empire royal family.
Although he is a very handsome young man, yet his lascivious nature would always come out whenever he sees beautiful women. And so he unconsciously wipes the drool on his mouth as he approached the group of three women.
"Ladies! This humble prince would like to meet your acquaintance." He said while showing his most handsome smile.
On the surface he tries to look amicable but deep in his heart he is already planning his next moves. When he was in the forest, he let Susu Ling escaped his grasp. But now since he found her again, he would make his move and of course also grab the goddess-like beauty near her, but he never thought of doing anything at the woman with a white veil because he knows who she is. And his status would not work against her, it would most likely be that his father would kill him upfront if he touches just the tip of her finger.
"Prince Haulin, you should mind your gaze. This is Cherry Lao, the fiancé of your older brother 2nd prince of Li Yan Xi. And she is the granddaughter of the grand alchemist of Empire." An old woman's voice behind him suddenly said which made Prince Haulin break in a cold sweat.
He didn't know that the woman is already been betrothed to his 2nd brother, which is one of the people he feared the most besides the crown prince. But then his mind became a little intoxicated as he once again saw Cherry Lao's beauty. Then he gave the old woman passing by his side a cold glance. historical
This old woman is one of the elders in Lotus sect who came with Cherry Lao to the town of Dis. When she discovered the perverted look on Prince Haulin's eyes, she didn't mind that he is a prince and spoke her mind. In the empire, everybody knows that Prince Haulin is the only prince who has no power. Although he can bully those without backgrounds however he is not well respected by powerful people, unlike his brothers and sisters.
Upon seeing the old woman who just went by, Prince Haulin frowns but he still tried to control himself. Although he never would have expected that he would be humiliated in front of this many people, however with his expereince, he can still hide his true feelings.
"Haha.. you jest me, senior. I wouldn't dare. This lowly prince would never do that. I just wanted to meet them as they are young heroes of my father's empire." Haulin Xi said with a smile.
But deep inside his heart, he is gritting his teeth in anger. Then he just cupped his hands and turn around and walk with the crowd.
"I swear that those two bitches will be in my hands before this war would end."